Barely waiting until they had disappeared Mo-sar crossed to the
hangings at the opposite end of the entrance-hall and followed by
Bu-lot made his way toward the sleeping apartment of O-lo-a and a
moment later, without warning, the two men burst in upon the three
occupants of the room. At sight of them O-lo-a sprang to her feet.
"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded angrily.
Mo-sar advanced and halted before her. Into his cunning mind had
entered a plan to trick her. If it succeeded it would prove easier
than taking her by force, and then his eyes fell upon Jane Clayton
and he almost gasped in astonishment and admiration, but he caught
himself and returned to the business of the moment.
"O-lo-a," he cried, "when you know the urgency of our mission you
will forgive us. We have sad news for you. There has been an uprising
in the palace and Ko-tan, the king, has been slain. The rebels are
drunk with liquor and now on their way here. We must get you out
of A-lur at once--there is not a moment to lose. Come, and quickly!"
"My father dead?" cried O-lo-a, and suddenly her eyes went wide.
"Then my place is here with my people," she cried. "If Ko-tan is
dead I am queen until the warriors choose a new ruler--that is the
law of Pal-ul-don. And if I am queen none can make me wed whom I
do not wish to wed--and Jad-ben-Otho knows I never wished to wed
thy cowardly son.
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